Celebrate Fairfax! Festival 2014

Please note: Do to the large volume of submissions this year, the review by date artists has been postponed to April 18th.

Now in its 33rd year, the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival is Northern Virginia's largest music and entertainment event. Each year, more than 65,000 attendees are entertained by performers on 7 stages, with interactive activities, carnival rides, community and business exhibits, great food, and special attractions. Celebrate Fairfax! is held annually on the second weekend after Memorial Day.

Celebrate Fairfax has booked more than 85 performing artists through Sonicbids since June, 2009.

Artists will be considered for the Cox Rocks! Stage, the Starr Hill Music Showcase, and an acoustic stage in the Craft Beer Garden. Additionally, all Sonicbids submitting artists will be considered for the Fairfax Corner Summer Concert Series, an 11-week program with performances on Thursday evenings from mid-June through Labor Day.

The Cox Rocks! Stage - Features well-known or established bands from throughout the mid-Atlantic Region (generally from New York to North Carolina), with a special focus on those who play in Northern Virginia/DC on a regular basis and/or have successfully performed at Celebrate Fairfax! in the past 1-3 years. The stage is located at the entry area to our Bud Light Main Stage and Cox Rocks! Stage performers are considered to be opening acts for our national headliners (including during the past five years artists such as Pat Benatar, Digital Underground, Live, Collective Soul, Sugar Ray, Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth, Naughty by Nature [with Rob Base and Sugar Hill Gang], Blues Traveler, Bowling for Soup, Joan Jett, OK Go, and others). Bands generally have at least 80% of songs as their own original material, with a few covers mixed in. Cover bands considered, but only for a few specific slots. Set lengths generally 60 minutes. Hotel accommodations for out-of-area performers may be available.

The Starr Hill Music Showcase - Primarily features up-and-coming and/or newer bands from the local Northern Virginia/DC metro area, with a few performances from out-of-the area artists who are within a half-day's drive of the area. Focus is on music and performance quality and not on established notoriety. The best reviewed performers from this stage (based upon performance quality, ability to gain/keep their audience, and other factors) are often asked back in subsequent years, with a "move up" to the Cox Rocks! Stage. Bands generally have at least 80% of songs as their own original material, with a few covers mixed in. Cover bands considered, but only for a few specific slots. Set lengths generally 45 or 60 minutes. Hotel accommodations are generally not available. 

Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter/a Cappella Stage (ACTUAL STAGE NAME TBD) - Features high quality performances, with a focus on music and performance quality. A triangular stage with a 12 front and approximately 8 of depth generally allows for not more than 3 individuals on stage. Occasionally bands appearing on other stages will be offered slots to do an acoustic or scaled down set on this stage. Selected artists almost always within a 200-mile radius or have connections to the area. Set lengths generally 40-45 minutes. Hotel accommodations are generally not available.

Compensation

Compensation is negotiable, but generally ranges from $400-$600 for the Cox Rocks! Stage, $250-$400 for the Starr Hill Music Showcase, and $100-$200 for the Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter/a Cappella stage. The summer concert series generally provides talent fees of $600 for featured headliners and $150 for opening acoustic artists. Celebrate Fairfax provides a no-commission environment for any artist-sold merchandise at performances.